Contact-shoe device for third-rail systems.



H. S. FARQUHAR. CONTACT SHOE DEVICE FOB. THIRD RAIL SYSTEMS.

' APPLICATION FILED 1116.14, 1912.

1,094,137. Patented Apr. 21, 1914,

3 MEETS-SHEET 1.

1.1. li n lAV 1 Hen ry 51 Faquima;

H. S. vF UHAR.v`

CONTACT SHOE DEVICE THIRD RAIL SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION IILBD AUG. I4, 1912.

1,094,1 37. I Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG? K jfeizy Fai quiza;

I-I. S. FARQUHAR. CONTACT SHOE DEVICE FOR THIRD RAIL SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1912.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Y Imewbw ,Henry 5. Pingu/m1;

(J'Ittofmw iUNTTED STATES PATENT GFFICE."

HENRY S. FARQUHAR, 0F BRYN MAWR, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTACT-SHOE DEVICE FOR THIRD-RAIL SYSTEMS.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, HENRY S. FARQUHAR, of Bryn Mawr, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Contact-Shoe Devices for Third- Fail Systems, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The primary purpose of my invention is to provide an organization of devices whereby a contact-shoe may be automatically thrown out of, or into, operative position.

The invention also includes certain features subsidiary to this main purpose, and these will be duly explained in describing the mode of operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure ll, represents diagiamniatically a railway track and car truck runnin@ thereon, said truck carrying a contact-slice embodying certain of my improvements, and said railway track being provided with the adjunctive devices forming part of my invention and adapted to shift the shoe into operative or inoperative position. For brevity of description these adjunctive devices will be comprehensively referred to as the actuators. Fig. TI, is a view, in isometric perspective, of said actuators, showing the p-referred arrangement of cam inclines thereon. Fig. TTI, is a partial sectional view at right angles to the track and on the lines HT, IH, of Fig. I, showing the general relation of said actuators to the track and also showing the means by which they are mounted. Fig. IV, is a partial transverse sectional view on the line TV, IV, of Fig. T, through the bridgepiece, or support, whereby the shoe and its housings are carried upon the car-truck, said view showing means for affording vertical adjustment of the shoe. V, is a front elevation of the slice and its housings. Fig. VI, is a transverse vertical section through the shoe and its housings on the lines VI, Vl, of Fig. V. Fig. VII, is a view, in vertical transverse section similar to Fig. VT, showing the shoe in a position intermediate 'between its operative and inoperative positions, and also showing a vertical transverse section through the actuators on a plane corresponding with this 'position of the shoe. Fig. VH1, is a vertical transverse section also similar to Fig. VT, showing the shoe in its inoperative position, and after it Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 14, 1912.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

Serial No. 714,945.

has passed from the actuators. Fig. TX, is a diagrammatic view showing the relation of the third rail and shoe in one particular' position of adjustment of the latter.

I will first proceed to describe the construction of the shoe, the mechanism directly connected therewith, and the mounting devices therefor, and will subsequently describe the nature and functions of the actuators, or devices which throw the shoe into and out of operation, and control its passage from one position to the other.

Referring to Figs. V, VI, VII and VIII, 1, represents the bridge or horizontal piece which extends between supports on the cartruck, and to the under side of which the housings of the shoe are bolted, as indicated. Said housings comprise the vertical hangers 2, and 3, connected by a foot-piece Ll, all of which parts may be cast integrally. The shoe comprises the forwardly projecting arm 5, having a laterally extended end portion 6, in which the contact piece 11, is seated, said arm being formed integrally with, or mounted upon a sleeve 7, rotatively supported upon a horizontal pin, or cylindrical bolt 8, which extends across between the lower ends o-f the hangers 2, and 3. Said bolt may be provided with a head 9, and nut 10, upon its threaded end portion, for securing it in position. A rearwardly pro- `iecting arm, or tail piece, 12, whose general plane isl preferably at right angles to that of the arm 5, is also secured to or cast integrally with the sleeve 7, the under surface of said tail piece being of such character as to permit it to cooperate with a cam incline upon the actuator, as hereinafter described.

As will be seen by reference particularly to Figs. V, and VI, the arm 5, and tail piece 12, are not in line with one another when seenfroin the front, the tail piece 12, being mounted toward that end of the sleeve 7, which is in proximity to the hanger 2, or at the left hand in Fig. V. Hence the plane of rotative movement of the tail piece 12, is such as to permit it to make contact with an adjustable stop 15, mounted upon the hanger 2, while the lateral extension 6, at the outer end of the shoe arm 5, will clear said stop. Said stop 15, Vis cylindrical in form, as indicated, but is mounted eccentrically upon the squared end of a bolt or pin- 1 7, adjustably secured to the hanger 2, by means of a nut 18. By turning the eccentric stop 15, into different positions, it is obvious that the tail piece 12, may be caused to come into contact therewith at varying angular positions of rotative movement. The sleeve 7, is provided with a pair of upwardly projecting lever arms 20, and 21, whose enlarged outer ends are perforated to permit the passage of a horizontal pin 22, having a head 23, and nut 24e, whereby it may be Secured in position. In the opening between the lever arms 20, and 21, there is freely mounted upon said pin a link 25, whose enlarged head 26, iits snugly but so as to slide freely within aV hollow cylindrical casing 27 which has at its upper end sleeve-lug 28, freely suspended upon a pin 29, carried in two downwardly depending lugs 30, and 31, which may conveniently be formed integrally with the foot 5, of the housing at the region intermediate between the hangers 2, and 3. The head 26, of the link 25, is provided with an axially extending cylindrical guide piece 32, which projects out through an opening in the end of the easing 27. A coiled spring 33, surrounding said guide piece is seated within the casing 27, and

normally tends to throw the link 25, downward. A transverse rod 34e, preferably provided-with a covering 35, of rubber or other substance adapted to act as a buffer, extends across between the hangers 2, and 3, near their upper portion and in such position as to constitute a stop for the shoe arm when the latter is thrown into inoperative' position, as indicated in Fig. VIII.

The bridge piece 1, upon which the housings of the shoe are carried, is preferably made vertically adjustable with relation to the car truck, a convenient means being shown in Figs. IV and IX. It will be seen, by reference to Fig. IV, that said bridge piece 1, is carried in seats 63, of L shaped cross section, the outer face of the vertical side of said seat being provided with a series of longitudinal grooves 64. Each seat is mounted upon a support 65, extending outward from the car truck (not shown) and said support comprises a vertical eXtension 68, whose outer face is grooved in correspondence with the grooves 64, upon the seat 63. rIhe bridge piece 1, and its seats 63, are secured to the supports 65, by means of bolts 66, which extend through vertical slots 67, in the part 68, of the support, so that, within the range of movement permitted by said slots, the grooved faces of the box may be shifted with relation to one another, a distance of one or more grooves and secured in position, thus securinga stepped vertical adjustment, while insuring the absolutely firm vmounting of the bridge piece. Such vertical adjustment is not only desirable for general purposes in compensating for wear of the contact piece, orfor the initial setting up ofthe parts in proper correspondence, but is also advantageous in that it permits the contact to be made with the third rail at the most sheltered portion thereof. Thus, in Fig. IX, an adjustment is shown wherein the housing has been raised slightly from the horizontal, or level which corresponds to an absolutely [lat contact between the shoe and the top of the third rail, the operative contact being made at or near the outer extremity of the contact piece by reason of the descent of the shoe arm below the horizontal. This region of contact is that most remote from the outer edge of the overhead guard piece 70, and hence most completely protected from the weather. The rotatively adjustable stop 15, is provided to compensate for this adjustment of the housings, since, if the contact surface of the stop were unvarying, the tail-piece 12, in some positions of the housing adjustment, would bring up against the stop at such a point of the descent of the shoe arm 5, as would prevent it from reaching the desired region for contact with the third rail.

To avoid confusion of nomenclature in my claims I shall refer to the operative and non-operative positions of the shoe respectively as its contacting and retracted positions.

Referring now to the functions and mode of operation, of the contact-shoe and its immediately connected parts, it will be seen that the arms 20, 21, and the link 25,being freely connected to one another by means of the pin 22, constitute a toggle-joint, and that hence when the position of the parts is such that said pin 22, is thrown past the dead center in either direction, the pressure of the spring 33, will tend to throw the arms 20, 21, downward on that side of the axis of the pin 8, at which said arms may, for the time being, be located. rIlle position of the parts shown -in Fig. VI, is that which corresponds to the operative position of the shoe, whose contact piece 11, is there represented as resting squarely upon the upper surface of the third rail -O, heilig resiliently heldv in that position by the tension of the spring lVhen, however, the shoe-arm 5, has been raised so as to throw the lever arms 20, 2l, to the opposite side of the toggle-joint center, the pressure of the spring 33, will tend to throw the parts into the position shown in Fig. VIII, where the shoe is out of operation, and is held in a completely retracted position beneath the bridge piece 1, the further rotative movement of the shoe-arm, in that direction, being prevented by the stop rod 34.

I will now proceed to describe the actuators, 01 devices, whereby the shoe is thrown into and out of its operative position, and may be controlled during the passage from one to the other. The inoperative position of the shoe is, practically speaking, only detit) sii-ed when a region of travel is reached, where the third rail does not eXtend. Adi jacent to the extremity of the third rail,'l provide preferably a pair of actuators, consisting of vertically projecting extended pieces, whose upper surfaces are adaptedv to constitute cam inclines. A convenient method of constructing and supporting these actuators is indicated in Figs. l, Il and Hl, where it will be seen that a plurality of bracket arms 41, are secured at intervals to the sides of the cross-ties 42, said bracket arms projecting outwardly with relation to the running rail 43, as shown most clearly in Fig. HI. These brackets carry the actuators, which are shown as a trough shaped structure, comprising abottom piece 45, and two vertical side pieces 46, and 47, respectively, whose upper surfaces are double inclined, as shown; that is to say, each piece has a relatively long incline as indicated at 48, and 49, respectively, and a relatively short incline as shown at 50, and 51, respec tively, the two sets of inclines being similar, but facing in opposite directions, and the cam surfaces thus formed overlapping one another, as shown. Vrllhe bottom piece 45, is bolted to the bracket arms 4l, as indicated at 52, in Fig. Ill", and the side pieces 46, and 47, are secured to the bottomy piece by means of the U shaped braces, such as 54, 55. The location of the side pieces 46, and 47, with relation to the third rail and to the shoe is such that one of said pieces, as

47 is in the line of progressive travel of the shoe arm 5, while the piece 46, is in the line of progressive travel of the tail piece 12. Supposing now that the car is traveling` in the direction indicated by the full arrow in Fig. I, and that the end f the third rail has been passed, under these circumstances (in the absence of the actuators) the tendency of the shoe would be to turn down and dangle, in consequence of the continued pressure of the spring 83, but for the fact that the inner' surface of the tail piece l2, brings up against the stop l5, thus preventing further rotative movement of the sleeve 7, and the shoe arm 5, in that direction.

Bts before stated, the stop l5, is eccentrically mounted, so that by turning it in the different rotative positions, the effective contact with the arm l2, may be made to occur at any desired position within the range of adjustment of the stop. Hence, irrespective of the actuators, whose functions will now be described, the shoe will be prevented from dangling in too low a position. The actuators, however, being located in the proper relation to the end of the third rail, the sho-e arm 5,'"will, in traveling, come into operative contact with the cam incline 49, and, riding up thereon, as the forward movement of the car continues, said arm will be raised, rotating the sleeve 7, and arms 20,

y 21, until a point is reached where the latter are thrown past the toggle center, whereupon the pressure of the spring 33, will tend to continue the rotative movement of the sleeve 7, and throw the shoe still farther upward. This movement would normally continue until the end 6, of the shoe arm 5, brought up against the stop rod 35, but as such action might tend to cause an undesirably violent shock by reason of the sudden arrest of the rapid upward movement, l prefer to employ the coperative eect of the cam incline 48, upon the other side-piece 46. The relation of the respective two inclines is such that just as the lever arm 20, is thrown past the toggle center by the rise of the shoe arm 5, the tail piece l2, will be immediately above a portion of the cam incline 48, which is at such a height as to receive the tail piece (now pressed downward upon it by the action of the spring 33) without substantial shock. As however the further progress of the car takes place, the tail piece rides down the incline 48, thus permitting the further gradual rise of the shoe arm 5, until as the tail piece 12, slides oli' from the end 60, of the incline 48, the shoe arm 5, will be substantially home in its extreme raised position, and consequently its stoppage by the rod 35, occasions no injurious shock. 1When it is desired to automatically throw the shoe Ainto operation on again approaching the commencement of the third rail, a similar pair of cam inclines is provided, but arranged in opposite relation to that just described. Under these conditions their action can be understood by assuming the direction of travel to be reversed, so that the parts are now approaching the actuators from a point beyond the end G0. The tail piece 12, will come into contact with the lowest portion of the cam incline 48, and by riding up thereon will cause the descent of the shoe arm 5, until the toggle center is past, whereupon the spring 33, will tend to throw the shoe arm 5, downward, but the latter, being received upon an adjacent portion of the other cam incline 49, will be protected from abrupt shock and guided gently downward until the shoe comes in contact with the third rail itself. Thereupon, the continued downward pressure of the spring 83, tends to maintain eflicient contact between the shoe and the third rail.

I have thus described the preferred embodiment of my invention, wherein this cooperative action of the cam inclines for controlling both the tail piece and .shoe arm, is provided, but it must be understood that my invention comprises the employment of either the actuator for throwing the shoe into operation, or of the actuator for throwing it out of operation, without requiring, as an essential feature, the timed coperation of the two devices.

I employ the term tail-piece as comprehending any projecting member connected with the pi'voted shoe and adapted to operativelyengage with a cam incline, which is generally stationary with relation to the progressive travel of the car.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. The combination of a-pivotally mounted shoe, resilient means for alternately holding said shoe in contacting position by pressure in one rotative direction with relation to its pivotal axis, and in inoperative position by pressure in the reverse rotative direction with relation to said axis, and a caln piece adapted to engage with a portion of said shoe and by progressive travel of the shoe, shift the same toward inoperative position.

2. The combination of a pivotally mounted shoe, resilient means for pressing said shoe toward contacting position and for holding said shoe in inoperative position, a tail-piece operatively connected with said shoe, and a cam piece adapted to operatively engage said tail-piece and by progressive travel of the shoe shift said shoe from inoperative to contacting position.

3. The combination of a pivotally mounted shoe; spring actuated toggle mechanism connected therewith, said toggle mechanism being adapted to be shifted in either direction past its center by rotative movement of the shoe; a cam-piece adapted to operatively engage with saidvshoe when;` in contacting position, and, by progressive travel of the shoe, shift the toggle mechanism past its center toward a position corresponding with the retracted position of the shoe and means for limiting said shifting movement.

4. The combination of a pivotally mounted shoe; a tail-piece operatively connected therewith; spring actuated toggle mechanism operatively connected with said shoe, said toggle-mechanism being adapted to be shifted in either direction past its center by rotative movement of the shoe; and a campiece adapted to operatively engage said tail-piece and, by progressive travel of the tail piece, shift the toggle mechanism toward a position corresponding with the contacting position of the shoe.

5. The combination of a pivotally mounted shoe; a tail-piece operatively connected therewith; spring actuated toggle mechanism operatively connected with said shoe, said toggle-mechanism being adapted to be shifted in either direction past its center by rotative movement of the shoe; and eampieees adapted respectively to operatively engage said shoe when in contacting position; or said tail-piece when the shoe is in retracted position, and, by progressive travel of the engaged member, shift the toggle mechanism past its center.

6. The combination of a pivotally mounted shoe, resilient means for pressing said shoe toward contacting position and for holding said shoe in inoperative position, means for shifting said shoe from inoperative position by progressive travel, and means for arresting the shifting movement of the shoe and permitting its gradual continuance by progressive travel, whereby injurious shock is prevented.

7. The combination of a pivotally mounted shoe; a tail-piece operatively connected therewith, each of said members having a Cain-engaging face arranged at an angle to that of the other; means for resiliently holding said shoe in each of its extreme positions; a cam-piece adapted to operatively engage said shoe when in contacting position and, by progressive travel of said shoe, shift it toward retracted position; a cam-piece adapted to operatively engage said tail-piece when the shoe is in retracted position and, by progressive travel of said tail-piece, shift the shoe toward contacting position, each of said cam-pieces being also provided with a cam incline adapted to receive its engaging member during the shifting movement effected by the other member, whereby the shifting movement toward either extreme position is gradually controlled.

S. The combination of a pivotally mounted shoe; a tail-piece operatively connected therewith, each of said members having a cam-engaging face arranged at an angle to that of the other; means for resiliently holding said shoe in each of its extreme positions; a cam-piece adapted to operatively engage said shoe when in contacting position and, by progressive travel of said shoe; shift it toward retracted position; a cam-piece located adjacent to said first mentioned campieee and having an oppositely inclined camsurface adapted to receive and gradually control said tail-piece during the shifting movement of the shoe toward retracted position; and means for arresting said shifting movement when such retracted position has been reached.

9. The combination of a housing; a sleeve pivotally mounted therein; a shoe arm projecting from said sleeve and provided with a contact-piece; a tail-piece having a surface which projects from said sleeve at an angle with relation to the general plane of projection of said shoe arm; spring actuated toggle-mechanism connected with said sleeve; cam-pieces adapted to operatively engage said shoe arm and said tail piece respectively, in progressive travel of the shoe, and shift said toggle mechanism past the togglecenter in one direction orV the other; and stops adapted to respectively engage said shoe arm and said tail-piece.

10. The combination of a pivotally mounted shoe, resilient means for pressing said l1,094,1sv

shoe toward contacting position and for holding said shoe in inoperative position, a tail-piece operatively connected with said shoe, and a stop adapted to be engaged by the tail-piece when the shoe is in contacting position but Clear of the third rail.

1l. The combination of a shoe, resilient means for positively pressing said shoe alternately toward operative and inoperative positions, the same elements performing both operations, and means for shiftingsaid shoe from operative to inoperative and from inoperative to operative positions by the progressive travel oi' the shoe.

l2. The combination of a pivotally mounted shoe and a resilient toggle mechanism positively connect-ed therewith, said toggle mechanism having a dead center located between the Contracted and retracted positions of the shoe whereby said shoe is held by said toggle mechanism in contacting position by ressure in one rotative direction with relation to its pivotal axis and in retracted position by pressure in the reverse direction with relation to saidaXis.

'In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this twelfth day of August 1912.

HENRY S. FARQUHAR. Witnesses: Y

JAMES H. BELL, AGNES REID.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

